DESPITE the arrest of its lead convener, Mr Omoyele Sowore, by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), on Saturday, human rights activists, who are also part of the #RevolutionNow protest scheduled for about 25 states today, Monday, August 5, have promised to go ahead with the exercise.
The rights activists, under the Conveners of Free Nigeria Movement (FNM) and Coalition in Defence of Nigeria’s Democracy and Constitution (CDNDC), led respectively by Raphael Adebayo and Dare-Ariyo Atoye, said they would mobilise “hundreds of most frustrated Nigerians to occupy the streets of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.”
But police authorities in Abuja have warned those planning the protest to stop the exercise, saying it amounted to inciting Nigerians against the Federal Government with the aim of forcing a regime change.
Force Police Public Relations Officer (FPRO), DCP Frank Mba, disclosed in a statement on Saturday that the planned revolution march “is a treasonable and terrorism offence.”
This was just as the Federal Government came under criticisms from the Socio-Economic Right and Accountability Project (SERAP), fleeing leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, right activist, Deji Adeyanju, presidential candidate of the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), Fela Durotoye and others over the arrest of Sowore.
“Nigerians already know that we are all living on the fringes, and so they are no longer scared of tear gas or stray bullets. Nigerians already know that living in Nigeria simply means you can be killed by Boko Haram, Fulani herders, kidnappers, Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), police officers, hunger, poverty and depression.
“Hence, they have chosen the honourable path to die, if that’s what it takes, and that is a peaceful revolution for a new nation that we all can be proud of,” Dare-Ariyo told Sunday Tribune in separate telephone interviews.
They insisted that Sowore’s arrest would not deter “millions of Nigerians who were currently grappling with survival under this system of chronic deprivation from fighting for their liberation.”
Speaking further, Adebayo said tomorrow’s protest would mark the beginning of a new era of revolutionary agitations in the country, describing the arrest of the 2019 presidential election candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) as “plainly a fascist and impulsive faux pas by government.
“By submitting himself as a willing vessel to spearhead #RevolutionNow, Sowore inflamed a burning desire within Nigerians for liberation from political and economic oppression; and his arrest cannot stop that. If anything, the revolution has just been energised,” he said.
Plans underway to secure Sowore’s release —Falana
Leading rights campaigner and lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), on Saturday, disclosed that plans were underway to secure the release of Sowore.
Prominent Nigerians, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Vice President of World Bank, Oby Ezekwesili, amongst others, chided the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari for the arrest.
Falana told Sunday Tribune he endorsed the revolution, but refused to confirm or deny his participation, saying any arrests in connection with protest for or against government would be illegal, considering the subsisting court orders regarding same.
He explained that one of the gains made by pro-democracy activists is getting the courts to outlaw procurement of police permit before exercising fundamental rights to free speech and peaceful assembly.
He went on memory lane to 2003 in Kano when he was briefed by President Muhammadu Buhari, then as a presidential candidate of the All Peoples Party (APP) and his party, to challenge the demand for permit by police, before a planned protest over the outcome of the year’s presidential election, could hold.
Falana said apart from defeating the government of the day and the police at a High Court where free speech, peaceful gathering and protest were declared constitutional, police permit for protest was also ruled illegal.
He noted that the icing on the cake was the decision of the Court of Appeal, arising from an appeal by the then government of President Olusegun Obasanjo, which completely knocked the bottom off the posturing of the security agencies regarding protest.
According to him, the intermediate court specifically ruled that peaceful gathering, protest and free speech are all part of sections 39 and 40 of the 1999 Constitution, which confer fundamental rights.
Protest is terrorism —Police
But the police in the statement claimed they acted based on a “video circulating on the social media inciting Nigerians, home and abroad, to join in the revolution march.”
The police spokesperson said that the sole aim of the revolution march slated for tomorrow was to force a regime change in the country.
He said the police would not stand and watch any individual or group in the society causing anarchy in the land.
According to him, while acknowledging the rights of Nigerians to embark on protest, the force wishes to note that such rights should not translate to a violent and forceful change of government.
The statement reads in part: “The force wishes to state unequivocally that the call amounts to treasonable felony and acts of terrorism and will therefore not stand by and watch any individual or group in the society cause anarchy in the land…
Buhari govt out to abolish democracy —Afenifere
Pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has said that it is now clear that President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration is poised to abolish democracy in the country, calling on the international community to come out and speak against such move.
Afenifere speaking though its spokesperson, Yinka Odumakin, in reaction to the treasonable offence slammed on anybody engaging in street protest by the Inspector General of Police, noting that the police chief had declared the country as being under a dictator.
According to him, President Buhari as then General, engaged in protest on Abuja street under President Gooluck Jonathan and nobody accused him of terrorism act, wondering why such proclamation should now be made.
“It is clear now that they want to abolish democracy completely, how can you say in democracy embarking on protest amounts to terrorism?
“Under Jonathan, President Buhari held protest together with some people on Abuja street, Jonathan didn’t charge them for terrorism act,” he recalled.
“Nigerians should wake up to the fact that we are now virtually in dictatorship, now that any protest is considered act of terrorism,” he said.
“The force, therefore, warns the organisers, sponsors, allies, supporters, associates and sympathisers of the group ‘Global Coalition for Security and Democracy in Nigeria’ to, in their own interest, steer clear of any such planned protest, demonstration, acts of incitement and proposed “revolution”, as the full wrath of the law will be brought to bear on any individual or group engaged or found participating in the above planned criminal act.
“Parents and guardians are therefore enjoined to impress on their children and wards not to allow themselves to be used in whatever form by any person or group of persons to cause breach of law and order in the country.
“The police will work with other law-enforcement agencies and positive-minded Nigerians to protect, defend and secure our public peace and space.”
Outrage…
Reacting to the development on #RevolutionNow Twitter handle, IPOB leader, Kanu, in his verified Twitter handle @Nnamdi Kanu, said “Fulani tyranny and primitive dictatorship will never win this war against the massed ranks of oppressed people in Nigeria. Suppressing the right to protest in a so-called democracy will only hasten the collapse of that zoo.”
In his reaction, Ovation Magazine publisher, Dele Momodu, tweeted: “Anyone can say anything but government must be slow to anger and watch closely for any acts of treason. Sowore is the most talked about Nigerian right now…”
SERAP also tweeted: “SERAP strongly condemns the arbitrary arrest of opposition leader and activist @YeleSowore by SSS. The Nigerian authorities should immediately and unconditionally release him. Sowore’s unconditional release will be a first step to stop Nigeria’s precipitous human rights slide.”
and then